18 tips to successfully start a project
- Make sure that you give your self the time to do it right from the beginning.
- Starting up a new project requires both resources and time, it can take from a day to several months, so make sure to use them wisely.
- It is at the beginning of the project that you have the greatest opportunity to effect the project.
- Make sure to inform the team working on the project about the projects background, the expected effects from the project. Also inform the team about any prerequisites of the project that may exist and past experiences from running similar projects in the past.
- Create a clear goal together with the team.
- Identify the stakeholders of the project, their expectations and how they can influence the projects execution and out come.
- Create needed structures for the project that shows the complete picture of the project which in a foreseeable way communicates the project.
- Secure that the required competences exists within the team and that they have allocated time to the project. Also secure that you have access to supporting resource if you need them.
- Organize the project with regards to the current project, not some old project or just because you have always do it in a certain way, to achieve the best possible result.
- Create a time plan for the project which contains milestones and/or checkpoints that help you assess the progress.
- Identify any critical tasks that has to be started directly and get a confirmation from the customer that it is so.
- Secure the required resources by creating a deal with those responsible for the resources.
- Make a budget for projects, this includes both costs and incomes that are generated by the project.
- Analyse the risks and create a pre-emptive plan to avoid them.
- Consider how collaboration and communication will be performed within the project and create a meeting schedule (plan) for the near future.
- Set routines for following up, documentation and reporting.
- Make sure that the ambition level of the project is in line with the expectations of the customer and available resources. Anchor the out come from the project start up with your own organization and other partners that you might have.
- Finally, make sure that you believe that the project will be a success.